Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Installation Of The Duke Of Abercorn As Grand Master Of Ireland.
and truth , universal benevolence and tolerance , are the characteristics of the Order , and we recognise no distinction of class or creed—religious or political . Our motto is—Fear God . honour the King , and love the Brotherhood . As my utterance on this occasion may be made ptiblic , I would very briefly refer to the charge—which is in print , and may be read by any one who likes—given to every Mason on his admission into the Order . The
earnest study of the volume of the Sacred Law , and the constant practice ol the Divine precepts therein contained of our duty to our God , to our neighbour , and to ourselves , are first most strongly urged , and those precepts are fully explained and amplified . The charge then proceeds — "As a citizen I enjoin you to be exemplary in the discharge of your civil duties by never proposing or
countenancing anything which may disturb the peace and good order of society , by pay ing obedience to the laws of the State in which you reside and by which you are protected , and by never losing sight of the allegiance you owe to the Sovereign of your native land . As an individual , 1 would enjoin upon you the practice of every domestic as well as public virtue . Let prudence direct you , temperance chasten you , fortitude support you , and
justice be the guide of all your actions ; and be especially careful to maintain in their fullest splendour those truly Masonic ornaments , Benevolence and Charily . " And in closing our lodges , when imploring the benediction of our Heavenly Father , we pray that every moral and social virtue may cement and unite us . This brief allusion to portions of our ceremonial should , in the minds of thinking people , be a complete refutation of the
attacks made upon us . I have , my Lord Duke and Most Worshipful Sir , occupied your lime and that of the brethren present longer than I should have liked , but I lelt it my duty in this public manner to repel the false charges made against the Order . In conclusion , I would wish your Grace many years of continued and unclouded happiness ; and I trust that , as we can congratulate ourselves on your having undertaken the responsible office
of Grand Master of the Free and Accepled Masons of Ireland , you will have no reason to regret your having done so . Belore I lay aside my insignia as Deputy Grand Master , my emblem of authority over my brethren , I ask them to assist me in saluting their newly-installed Grand Master according to ancient custom . A running fire ol eleven was then given in right hearty fashion .
M . W . His Grace the Duke of ABERCORN was , on rising , received with another outburst of cheers . He said : R . W . Deputy Grand Master and brethren , —I feel most flattered at the kind allusion with which you , Worshipful Grand Master , have been pleased to refer to myself , and also at the touching references made to the memory of my dear father , your late Worshipful Grand Master . It will be long , I am sure , before the recollection
of his face and form fades from your hearts —( hear)—together with the interest that he always took in the working of the Masonic Order in this country . I feel more especially the great and distinguished honour that you , brethren , have been pleased to confer upon me to-day , and I cannot help thinking that it is chiefly owing to the accident of birth that I am in the proud position of being now your Worshipful Grand Master , and not from
any merits of my own arising Irom any great services to the Craft . ( No , no . ) I can onlv venture to express a hope that the brethren in Ireland may have no reason " to regret this accident of birth , and for my part I shall always endeavour to discharge the important duties connected with my present position to the best of tny ability ; and it will be my constant desire to follow worthily in ' the foolsteps of your late Grand Master . ( Applause . )
The position that I now occupy is one , indeed , to be envied by Masons , not only with regard lo the United Kingdom generally , and taking into consideration the similar position that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales occupies in England , but more especially with respect to that portion of the United Kingdom in which we live , and which I pray for centuries to come may form an integral portion of that Kingdom . ( Loud and prolonged cheers ) .
We live in troubled times , as your worthy Deputy Grand Master has just said—times to which it is impossible to assign any futurity of peace or tranquillit }' ., But when wa leave the outer world , with all its cares and anxieties , and enter this Hall , we feel—at least I do—that we have entered into another sphere , and for the time being are living in a bond of union , friendship , and charity with all men . ( Hear , hear . ) And this is literally
true , for have we not assembled within these walls men of all classes of society in Ireland ? ( Hear . ) We are graced to-day by the presence of one of the ablest judges of the land , and the name of our brother will be handed down to posterity associated with the brightest deeds of Charity in connection with the ' Masonic Order . We have worthy and distinguished representatives of the legal and literary professions , of the landed interest ,
of the commercial and trading classes , and of the poor artisan and country labourer . ( Hear . ) And it is over these , brethren , that you have to-day elt-cted me to preside—over this large community , with its hundreds of lodges , ranging from the north to the south , the east to the west , extended in an-a . but united in lellow leeling and love . ( Applause . ) I wish that the calumniators of our order could lor once understand the system upon which
we live and let live . They would then be less willing and I ss desirous of finding lault with us . We are , it is true , a secret society , but a society without any political motive , but one that only works for the good of our ( ellowcounirymen when in distress or affliction . ( Applause ) . I cannot , brethren , relrain Irom referring lor an instant to the two great Charities that are connected with our Order—the Masonic Orphan Girls' and Boys' Schools .
( Hear . ) 1 have to congratulate you upon the successful working of both of these Institutions , that success being mainly attributable to the energy displayed by various members of the Craft who have the cause of these excellent Charities at heart , and also to the generous spirit evinced on their behalf by the various lodges throughout Ireland . May the success that has hitherto attended them continue to prosper , thereby increasing year by year
the number of poor orphans to be admitted within their walls . ( Loud app lause . ) I will not detain you , brethren , further , for I have now a most pleasing duty to perform—to invest for the third time our worthy Brother Shekleton as Deputy Grand Master of the Order . ( Hear . ) In bringing under your notice the name of Bro . Shekleton I am not introducing to ycu the name of an unknown friend or of an unknown Mason . ( Hear . ) When
I knew that it fell to my lot to have the great pleasure of appointing a Deputy Grand Master , 1 at once felt that it would be with the sanction of all the brethren throughout this land that I should nominate Bro . Shekleton lo that position . ( Applause . ) It is needless lor me to say—the approbation which you have shown at the mention of his name proves—that he is a
brother worthy to be accepled by you for the third time as Deputy Grand Master . ( . Applause . ) It is also a malterof gratification to mysell to th . nk that I am able to propose such a worthy and excellent Mason . I beg now , brethren , to invest Bro . Shekleton as Deputy Grand Master of this most distinguished Order . ( Loud applause . )
Installation Of The Duke Of Abercorn As Grand Master Of Ireland.
The Deputy Grand Master having been invested with the insignia of his office , was saluted by a running fire of eleven , time being taken from the Most Worshipful Grand Master . R . W . Bro . ROBERT W . SHEKLETON , Q . C ., who was greeted with loud applause , said : Most Worshipful Sir , —It is with feelings of the greatest diffidence that I stand amongst my brethren to return thanks , as I have so
often done , for the honours that have been conferred upon me in Masonry . I confess that to a certain extent I was reluctant to undertake the office again , because I felt that , having filled it for so many years , it was my duty to give way to a younger brother —( no , no)—one who would be enabled to discharge the duties to your satisfaction , who would bring a larger amount of energy into the nerformance of those duties , and devote more time to the
interests of the Order that I of late years have been able to do . But I felt , at the same time , that it was my duty when his Grace the Grand Master intimated his intention to nominate me , that I should not decline that honour unless I were thoroughly satisfied that it was not in my power to discharge the duties of the office ; and , finally , I placed myself in the hands of my brethren , as I have always done , bespeaking their kind assistance
and support , which have been hitherto on every occasion so generousl y accorded to me . To you , Most Worshi pful Sir , I return my personal thanks for having entrusted me with the office . I must say that I am not unknown to your Grace , having had the honour of your friendship now for many years . To you , my brethren , I am not a stranger , having been Deputy Grand Master for a period now ot nearly 17 years . ( Applause . ) 1 believe
it has been unprecedented in the annals of the Order that a brother has filled that office for so many years , and that the same brother has had to discharge the duties of Grand Master on two separate oecasions . ( Applause . ) I confess that thought brings melancholy reflections to me , because it reminds me of the death of two brethren , who were kind and generous and noble friends of myself ; and I assure you that that alone has
weighed upon me , and made me very doubtful whether I should have undertaken the office again . But , brethren , I thank you heartil y for the way in which you have received my name to-night , and I can assure you that as long as I have the honour of being entrusted with the position of Deputy Grand Master I shall endeavour to discharge the duties of the office , as I have hitherto done , without regard to any man in the Order ,
simply actuated by a desire to do my duty to the Craft , and promote the well-being of the Order . ( Loud Applause . ) R . W . Bro . the Hon . Judge TOWNSHEND said : Most Worshipful Grand Master , —I have been requested , as having discharged the functions for several years of the high office of Deputy Grand Master , to mention to your Grace publicly here to-night , if you did not know it already , that the
Order in Ireland , on hearing that you had been pleased to nominate our R . W . Bro . Shekleton to the office oi Deputy Grand Master—an office which , as I well know , requires no little care , no little attention , is encumbered with a good deal of difficult } ' , requires much discretion , much command of temper , and many other attributes which I do not like to enumerate lest it might look as if I wished to take credit for the possession of them
myself , but which we all recognise in the Deputy Grand Master , whom we most gladly receive and welcome amongst us for the third time—determined to present him with an address which would but feebly convey their appreciation of his high personal character , and of the eminent services he has rendered to Freemasonry in Ireland . ( Applause . ) I have to ask your Grace to present , in the name of the brethren , this very handsome testimonial to our beloved brother ; and we ask you to do so , not merely because
we know that it will obtain a very great enhancement in that way , but that it will be gratifying to your Grace 10 be able by that overt act , in the face of this great assembly , to testify to your brethren that you are gratified at the fact that they have so kindly and so cordially received the appointment that you have made . ( Applause . ) I now place the address in your hands for formal presentment , and I think you will agree with me that it is in itself not unworthy of the Order or of the state of decorative art in Ireland . ( Hear , hear . )
I he address , which was very beautifully decorated by Bro . J . Hopkins , of Nassau-street , read as follows : —
Address from the Freemasons of Ireland to the Right Worshipful Brother Robert Wm , Shekleton , Q . C ., J , P ., Deputy Grand Master . Right Worshipful and Very Dear Brother , It is with sincere pleasure that the members of the Masonic Order in this country present their fraternal welcome and congratulation to you upon the occasion of your appointmant , now for the third time , as Deputy Grand Master oE the Freemasons
of Ireland , a position which you have already filled under our late Grand Masters ( his Grace the Duke of Abercorn , K . G ., and his Grace the Duke of Leinster ) for the unprecedented period of nearly 17 years , with credit to yourself and benefit to the Craft . In order to commemorate this event , they purpose placing your portrait in the Giand Lodge room , where they trust it may long continue as a memorial of the services of one so
highly esteemed and beloved by bis brethren . In conclusion , they fraternally hope that much happiness is reserved for you in the future , and that you may be long spared to perform those exalted Masonic duties which you have so ably discharged in the past . Signed , on behalf of the biethten , this jrd day of March , iSSC , ABKRCORN . Grand Master . BANDO . V , Grand Secretary .
M . W . the Duke of ABERCORN , in presenting the address , said the acclamation with which the brethren had received the words of Bro . Judge Townshend furnished a further proof—if such were wanting—that to no one could such a testimonial be more fittingly presented than to their , for the third time , newly-elected Deputy Grand Master . Without further preface , he begged to hand to Bro . Shekleton the address which had been presented to him so heartil y and so unanimously by the brethren . ( A pplause . ) R . W . Bro . SHEKLETON , O . C ., suitably replied .
After a musical selection , in which Bros . Benjamin Mullen , Hemsley , Bapty , and Edward Oldham sang some glees and part songs during the evening in the most acceptable manner , The GRAND STEWARD presented to the Grand Master Bro . Theophilus St . George as representative of the Grand Lodge of Virginia , U . S ., and , haviigbeen invested with the insignia of that office , Bro . St . George took his seat on the dais .
R . W . Bro . SHEKLETON said Bro . St . George had been for many years a most active member of the Order . He had filled all ihe subordinate offices in the Grand Lodge , and had now retired into the ranks of the illustrious Past Grand Officers ; but the choice of the Grand Lodge of Virginia could not—as all the brethren well knew—have fallen upon abetter or more deserving Mason . ( Applause . )
Bro . St . George was then saluted with a running fire of eleven , time being takeh from the Grand Master . A collection having been taken up for the Masonic Orphan Schools , the National Anthem was sung with great enthusiasm , and the Grand Lodge was closed with the customary formalities ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Installation Of The Duke Of Abercorn As Grand Master Of Ireland.
and truth , universal benevolence and tolerance , are the characteristics of the Order , and we recognise no distinction of class or creed—religious or political . Our motto is—Fear God . honour the King , and love the Brotherhood . As my utterance on this occasion may be made ptiblic , I would very briefly refer to the charge—which is in print , and may be read by any one who likes—given to every Mason on his admission into the Order . The
earnest study of the volume of the Sacred Law , and the constant practice ol the Divine precepts therein contained of our duty to our God , to our neighbour , and to ourselves , are first most strongly urged , and those precepts are fully explained and amplified . The charge then proceeds — "As a citizen I enjoin you to be exemplary in the discharge of your civil duties by never proposing or
countenancing anything which may disturb the peace and good order of society , by pay ing obedience to the laws of the State in which you reside and by which you are protected , and by never losing sight of the allegiance you owe to the Sovereign of your native land . As an individual , 1 would enjoin upon you the practice of every domestic as well as public virtue . Let prudence direct you , temperance chasten you , fortitude support you , and
justice be the guide of all your actions ; and be especially careful to maintain in their fullest splendour those truly Masonic ornaments , Benevolence and Charily . " And in closing our lodges , when imploring the benediction of our Heavenly Father , we pray that every moral and social virtue may cement and unite us . This brief allusion to portions of our ceremonial should , in the minds of thinking people , be a complete refutation of the
attacks made upon us . I have , my Lord Duke and Most Worshipful Sir , occupied your lime and that of the brethren present longer than I should have liked , but I lelt it my duty in this public manner to repel the false charges made against the Order . In conclusion , I would wish your Grace many years of continued and unclouded happiness ; and I trust that , as we can congratulate ourselves on your having undertaken the responsible office
of Grand Master of the Free and Accepled Masons of Ireland , you will have no reason to regret your having done so . Belore I lay aside my insignia as Deputy Grand Master , my emblem of authority over my brethren , I ask them to assist me in saluting their newly-installed Grand Master according to ancient custom . A running fire ol eleven was then given in right hearty fashion .
M . W . His Grace the Duke of ABERCORN was , on rising , received with another outburst of cheers . He said : R . W . Deputy Grand Master and brethren , —I feel most flattered at the kind allusion with which you , Worshipful Grand Master , have been pleased to refer to myself , and also at the touching references made to the memory of my dear father , your late Worshipful Grand Master . It will be long , I am sure , before the recollection
of his face and form fades from your hearts —( hear)—together with the interest that he always took in the working of the Masonic Order in this country . I feel more especially the great and distinguished honour that you , brethren , have been pleased to confer upon me to-day , and I cannot help thinking that it is chiefly owing to the accident of birth that I am in the proud position of being now your Worshipful Grand Master , and not from
any merits of my own arising Irom any great services to the Craft . ( No , no . ) I can onlv venture to express a hope that the brethren in Ireland may have no reason " to regret this accident of birth , and for my part I shall always endeavour to discharge the important duties connected with my present position to the best of tny ability ; and it will be my constant desire to follow worthily in ' the foolsteps of your late Grand Master . ( Applause . )
The position that I now occupy is one , indeed , to be envied by Masons , not only with regard lo the United Kingdom generally , and taking into consideration the similar position that H . R . H . the Prince of Wales occupies in England , but more especially with respect to that portion of the United Kingdom in which we live , and which I pray for centuries to come may form an integral portion of that Kingdom . ( Loud and prolonged cheers ) .
We live in troubled times , as your worthy Deputy Grand Master has just said—times to which it is impossible to assign any futurity of peace or tranquillit }' ., But when wa leave the outer world , with all its cares and anxieties , and enter this Hall , we feel—at least I do—that we have entered into another sphere , and for the time being are living in a bond of union , friendship , and charity with all men . ( Hear , hear . ) And this is literally
true , for have we not assembled within these walls men of all classes of society in Ireland ? ( Hear . ) We are graced to-day by the presence of one of the ablest judges of the land , and the name of our brother will be handed down to posterity associated with the brightest deeds of Charity in connection with the ' Masonic Order . We have worthy and distinguished representatives of the legal and literary professions , of the landed interest ,
of the commercial and trading classes , and of the poor artisan and country labourer . ( Hear . ) And it is over these , brethren , that you have to-day elt-cted me to preside—over this large community , with its hundreds of lodges , ranging from the north to the south , the east to the west , extended in an-a . but united in lellow leeling and love . ( Applause . ) I wish that the calumniators of our order could lor once understand the system upon which
we live and let live . They would then be less willing and I ss desirous of finding lault with us . We are , it is true , a secret society , but a society without any political motive , but one that only works for the good of our ( ellowcounirymen when in distress or affliction . ( Applause ) . I cannot , brethren , relrain Irom referring lor an instant to the two great Charities that are connected with our Order—the Masonic Orphan Girls' and Boys' Schools .
( Hear . ) 1 have to congratulate you upon the successful working of both of these Institutions , that success being mainly attributable to the energy displayed by various members of the Craft who have the cause of these excellent Charities at heart , and also to the generous spirit evinced on their behalf by the various lodges throughout Ireland . May the success that has hitherto attended them continue to prosper , thereby increasing year by year
the number of poor orphans to be admitted within their walls . ( Loud app lause . ) I will not detain you , brethren , further , for I have now a most pleasing duty to perform—to invest for the third time our worthy Brother Shekleton as Deputy Grand Master of the Order . ( Hear . ) In bringing under your notice the name of Bro . Shekleton I am not introducing to ycu the name of an unknown friend or of an unknown Mason . ( Hear . ) When
I knew that it fell to my lot to have the great pleasure of appointing a Deputy Grand Master , 1 at once felt that it would be with the sanction of all the brethren throughout this land that I should nominate Bro . Shekleton lo that position . ( Applause . ) It is needless lor me to say—the approbation which you have shown at the mention of his name proves—that he is a
brother worthy to be accepled by you for the third time as Deputy Grand Master . ( . Applause . ) It is also a malterof gratification to mysell to th . nk that I am able to propose such a worthy and excellent Mason . I beg now , brethren , to invest Bro . Shekleton as Deputy Grand Master of this most distinguished Order . ( Loud applause . )
Installation Of The Duke Of Abercorn As Grand Master Of Ireland.
The Deputy Grand Master having been invested with the insignia of his office , was saluted by a running fire of eleven , time being taken from the Most Worshipful Grand Master . R . W . Bro . ROBERT W . SHEKLETON , Q . C ., who was greeted with loud applause , said : Most Worshipful Sir , —It is with feelings of the greatest diffidence that I stand amongst my brethren to return thanks , as I have so
often done , for the honours that have been conferred upon me in Masonry . I confess that to a certain extent I was reluctant to undertake the office again , because I felt that , having filled it for so many years , it was my duty to give way to a younger brother —( no , no)—one who would be enabled to discharge the duties to your satisfaction , who would bring a larger amount of energy into the nerformance of those duties , and devote more time to the
interests of the Order that I of late years have been able to do . But I felt , at the same time , that it was my duty when his Grace the Grand Master intimated his intention to nominate me , that I should not decline that honour unless I were thoroughly satisfied that it was not in my power to discharge the duties of the office ; and , finally , I placed myself in the hands of my brethren , as I have always done , bespeaking their kind assistance
and support , which have been hitherto on every occasion so generousl y accorded to me . To you , Most Worshi pful Sir , I return my personal thanks for having entrusted me with the office . I must say that I am not unknown to your Grace , having had the honour of your friendship now for many years . To you , my brethren , I am not a stranger , having been Deputy Grand Master for a period now ot nearly 17 years . ( Applause . ) 1 believe
it has been unprecedented in the annals of the Order that a brother has filled that office for so many years , and that the same brother has had to discharge the duties of Grand Master on two separate oecasions . ( Applause . ) I confess that thought brings melancholy reflections to me , because it reminds me of the death of two brethren , who were kind and generous and noble friends of myself ; and I assure you that that alone has
weighed upon me , and made me very doubtful whether I should have undertaken the office again . But , brethren , I thank you heartil y for the way in which you have received my name to-night , and I can assure you that as long as I have the honour of being entrusted with the position of Deputy Grand Master I shall endeavour to discharge the duties of the office , as I have hitherto done , without regard to any man in the Order ,
simply actuated by a desire to do my duty to the Craft , and promote the well-being of the Order . ( Loud Applause . ) R . W . Bro . the Hon . Judge TOWNSHEND said : Most Worshipful Grand Master , —I have been requested , as having discharged the functions for several years of the high office of Deputy Grand Master , to mention to your Grace publicly here to-night , if you did not know it already , that the
Order in Ireland , on hearing that you had been pleased to nominate our R . W . Bro . Shekleton to the office oi Deputy Grand Master—an office which , as I well know , requires no little care , no little attention , is encumbered with a good deal of difficult } ' , requires much discretion , much command of temper , and many other attributes which I do not like to enumerate lest it might look as if I wished to take credit for the possession of them
myself , but which we all recognise in the Deputy Grand Master , whom we most gladly receive and welcome amongst us for the third time—determined to present him with an address which would but feebly convey their appreciation of his high personal character , and of the eminent services he has rendered to Freemasonry in Ireland . ( Applause . ) I have to ask your Grace to present , in the name of the brethren , this very handsome testimonial to our beloved brother ; and we ask you to do so , not merely because
we know that it will obtain a very great enhancement in that way , but that it will be gratifying to your Grace 10 be able by that overt act , in the face of this great assembly , to testify to your brethren that you are gratified at the fact that they have so kindly and so cordially received the appointment that you have made . ( Applause . ) I now place the address in your hands for formal presentment , and I think you will agree with me that it is in itself not unworthy of the Order or of the state of decorative art in Ireland . ( Hear , hear . )
I he address , which was very beautifully decorated by Bro . J . Hopkins , of Nassau-street , read as follows : —
Address from the Freemasons of Ireland to the Right Worshipful Brother Robert Wm , Shekleton , Q . C ., J , P ., Deputy Grand Master . Right Worshipful and Very Dear Brother , It is with sincere pleasure that the members of the Masonic Order in this country present their fraternal welcome and congratulation to you upon the occasion of your appointmant , now for the third time , as Deputy Grand Master oE the Freemasons
of Ireland , a position which you have already filled under our late Grand Masters ( his Grace the Duke of Abercorn , K . G ., and his Grace the Duke of Leinster ) for the unprecedented period of nearly 17 years , with credit to yourself and benefit to the Craft . In order to commemorate this event , they purpose placing your portrait in the Giand Lodge room , where they trust it may long continue as a memorial of the services of one so
highly esteemed and beloved by bis brethren . In conclusion , they fraternally hope that much happiness is reserved for you in the future , and that you may be long spared to perform those exalted Masonic duties which you have so ably discharged in the past . Signed , on behalf of the biethten , this jrd day of March , iSSC , ABKRCORN . Grand Master . BANDO . V , Grand Secretary .
M . W . the Duke of ABERCORN , in presenting the address , said the acclamation with which the brethren had received the words of Bro . Judge Townshend furnished a further proof—if such were wanting—that to no one could such a testimonial be more fittingly presented than to their , for the third time , newly-elected Deputy Grand Master . Without further preface , he begged to hand to Bro . Shekleton the address which had been presented to him so heartil y and so unanimously by the brethren . ( A pplause . ) R . W . Bro . SHEKLETON , O . C ., suitably replied .
After a musical selection , in which Bros . Benjamin Mullen , Hemsley , Bapty , and Edward Oldham sang some glees and part songs during the evening in the most acceptable manner , The GRAND STEWARD presented to the Grand Master Bro . Theophilus St . George as representative of the Grand Lodge of Virginia , U . S ., and , haviigbeen invested with the insignia of that office , Bro . St . George took his seat on the dais .
R . W . Bro . SHEKLETON said Bro . St . George had been for many years a most active member of the Order . He had filled all ihe subordinate offices in the Grand Lodge , and had now retired into the ranks of the illustrious Past Grand Officers ; but the choice of the Grand Lodge of Virginia could not—as all the brethren well knew—have fallen upon abetter or more deserving Mason . ( Applause . )
Bro . St . George was then saluted with a running fire of eleven , time being takeh from the Grand Master . A collection having been taken up for the Masonic Orphan Schools , the National Anthem was sung with great enthusiasm , and the Grand Lodge was closed with the customary formalities ,